Dentistry

﻿There are many pieces to the dental school application, including your GPA, DAT score, personal statement, list of experiences, letters of recommendation, and biographical information. Use the navigation below to explore each aspect of preparing for dental school.

What is a Dentist?

A dentist is a doctor who focuses on the health of the teeth, gums and other tissues in and around the mouth.

Dentists can obtain a Doctor of Medical Dentistry (D.M.D.) or a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.).

Take the National Board Dental Examinations and become licensed in the state you want to practice
After getting a D.M.D. or D.D.S, you can pursue a doctoral degree in Dental Science and go into one of nine specialties: Endodontics
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology
Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
Orthodontics
Pediatric Dentistry
Periodontics
Prosthodontics
Public Health Dentistry
Specialties require at least two additional years of schooling.

Dental School Prerequisites

To prepare academically as a pre-dental student, you'll need to take the dental school prerequisites and coursework to prepare for the DAT. School prerequisites and DAT prep coursework overlap but are not the same. DAT prep coursework must be done before you take the DAT and prioritized over non-DAT prerequisites. You can choose any major and apply to medical school. If you choose a non-science major, you still have to take the science prerequisites required by most schools. Always cross-check your major requirements and the medical school requirements when choosing classes.

You can choose any major and apply to dental schools. If you choose a non-science major, you still have to take the science prerequisites required by dental schools. Always cross-check your major requirements and the dental school requirements when choosing classes.

HPA recommends that pre-dental students maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, although many dental schools will have GPA averages above this minimum.

Complete all of your prerequisite courses for a letter grade - DO NOT take any of them P/NP.

Each dental school has different prerequisites. Check each school's prerequisites before applying.

Dental Admissions Test (DAT)

The DAT is required by all dental schools. The exam is just over 4 hours long. The exam is offered most days of the year. You can only take the test once every 90 days. The DAT cost $275 each time you take it. Before you sign up for the DAT you should go over the ADA DAT guide.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is your first chance to provide dental school admissions committees with subjective information about your qualifications and your reasons for choosing a particular career. In other words, the personal statement is your initial opportunity to present yourself as an interesting and unique applicant who deserves a closer look.

Letters of Recommendation

ADEA AADSAS allows you to submit four letters, but some dental schools might ask you to submit additional letters outside of AADSAS. According to ADEA, most dental schools require two letters from science professors, one from an advisor and one from a dentist

Choosing Schools

There are a variety of factors that go into choosing which dental schools to apply to, including location, environment (i.e. urban), tuition, class size, focus or mission statement, etc. Spend some time researching schools online and create a spreadsheet that tracks the factors most important to you.HPA also recommends meeting with an advisor to discuss your school list.

Please note that dental schools accept community college work in varying degrees, some accept all transferable work, some a certain amount of units, and others accept a very limited amount. On average, pre-dental students apply to 10 dental schools. It is important to talk to an advisor when creating a school list in order to strategically apply. You can make an appointment at http://hpadvising.ucdavis.edu/.